Christian Deslauriers
is a Criminal Law attorney who has his own partnership, Deslauriers
and Lemieux. He obtained his civil
law degree from Laval University in Quebec City in 2000. After that, he pursued
his Bar certification a year later. Once he completed the necessary
requirements, he began practicing law by working at the Office of the
Prosecutor of International Criminal Tribunal for the former country of
Yugoslavia in the Balkans.
Although he enjoyed the job, he soon left to pursue additional education and
ended up obtaining his Juris Doctor title at Ottawa University. While
completing these studies, Christian
Deslauriers focused on Common
Law. Simultaneously, he also became a member of the Law Society of Upper
Canada.
Why did you choose to pursue a career in the field in which you currently work?
I wanted to become a lawyer because this profession intrigued me from an early
age. I remember watching TV shows like Law and Order and thinking how
incredible it would be to have a job where one argues cases in court. Once I
finished high school, I also realized that I have very good communication
skills and an ability to study with a great attention to detail. So, I felt
that pursuing a law degree was the right decision. Many years later, I am happy
to say that this was the right choice as I never regretted my academic
endeavors.
In what way does your professional role make it possible for you to have a positive impact on others?
Well, depending on the role which is being discussed, I think that there are a
few different ways in which I can impact people. Obviously, being an attorney
is the first one that comes to mind since it is my main occupation. More
importantly, lawyers are known to work directly for the people who need
representation during legal challenges.
My impact boils down to my ability to give somebody a second chance by helping
them avoid false charges or overcome crimes that might have happened as a
consequence of immaturity, some simple mistakes, and so on. Even when I am
unable to completely save somebody from the legal system, my skills allow me to
negotiate a fair punishment that will help that person become a better version
of themselves.
As far as my other ventures, I also work as a manager for Diana Roze. My
involvement there has allowed her to reach her dreams and become a recording
artist. Lastly, all of the software projects that I have participated in aimed
to provide people with better payment systems that would make their lives more
convenient.
Can you give our readers any advice about starting their own business?
You should not base your decision to start a business on factors that limit how
wide the array of opportunities is. In other words, you should not only focus
solely on the things that you may be passionate about. Although this sounds
counterintuitive, it has helped me get involved with a lot of different markets
and attain some hefty profits in each.
For instance, if you are a lawyer who only wants to work with law-related
businesses, you are effectively reducing the number of eligible opportunities.
Instead, learning how some other market works and becoming an investor there
could help you use your different set of skills to present new ideas.
Eventually, you might even start liking the new industry that you entered, and
it could become a full-time passion.
What do you do for recreation?
I try to exercise at least a few times a week. Usually, this takes place early
in the morning before my day starts. That way, I feel energized and have some
adrenaline rushing even before I get any coffee in my system. Additionally, I
try to do something with my friends or family no less than once or twice a
week. Sometimes, this can be a simple movie night at the theater or at home.
There are also days when I get everybody to come out and we have a little
picnic or take a long walk.
Is there an Australian you admire or who has had a profound influence on you personally or professionally? Explain.
Geoffrey Edelsten would probably be the first person that comes to mind. For
those unfamiliar, he is an entrepreneur who operates in the field of medicine
and is mostly known for founding the Allied Medical Group. His approach to
medicine helped revolutionize the Australian healthcare system and ensured
patient care improved by enormous margins, bulk billing came to life, medical
centers with longer hours started operating, and much more. He is the type of
person that was able to jump-start a positive movement which resulted in a
better life for millions of people.
